Edinburgh Fringe Chats (#53): Amanda Verlaque, THIS SH*T HAPPENS ALL THE TIME
Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic
As anticipation builds for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, we’re catching up with a range of exciting creatives preparing to bring their work to the world’s largest arts festival this August. In this series, we delve into the stories behind the shows, the inspiration driving the artists, and what audiences can expect. Today, we’re joined by Amanda Verlaque to chat about their show, This Sh*t Happens All The Time.
Can you begin by telling us about your show and what inspired it?
The show is based on my own experience of a homophobic hate crime that happened when I was a student. I was at Uni, it was the early 90s, and I was gingerly coming out when I fell head over heels for a woman. Unfortunately, her ex-boyfriend didn’t like this scenario, so he threatened my life, which was terrifying. Homophobic hate crime didn’t even exist as a term, let alone laws to protect us, so how did I get through that time? Well, you’ll just have to come and see the show! What I can share with you though is that this is first and foremost a love story and there’s a lot of spicy fun before it all goes pear-shaped! We’ve come a long way and fought hard to win rights and respect, but I’m worried how our world remains so dangerous for the LGBTQ+ community and how precarious our rights are. I hope my story can make a contribution to the desire for true equality.
What made you want to bring this work to the Fringe this year?
I’ve wanted to get the story out there for a long time but it took a while to write - decades in fact! This is my own work, not my usual fiction and I had to go on a personal journey first before the creative process helped me find a way to share it.
How would you describe your show in three words?
Dark, sexy, funny.
What do you hope audiences take away from watching your performance?
I want audiences to enjoy the show, because while it’s a serious subject it’s also quite funny and sexy, and I want them to celebrate how LGBTQ+ visibility is the best way to stamp out bigotry.
What’s your top tip for surviving the Fringe?
Ask me on August 26th!
Where and when can people see your show?
Assembly George Square Studio Four every day at 1.20pm (except Wednesdays)
